1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable USB flash memory devices. More specifically, the present invention is a USB memory device contained within the body of a toy car. The device features a retractable USB connector for concealing the USB connector from view, making the device unrecognizable as a USB memory device, as the device should be mistaken for a toy car.
2. Description of the Prior Art
USB flash memory devices have changed the way individuals store information. Older forms of memory storage devices, such as the floppy disks, 3.5-inch diskettes and writable compact disks, have been rendered nearly obsolete technology because of the steady-state technology of flash memory. These old forms of memory storage were physically bulky and could only hold relatively small amounts of digital information. Flash memory is a form of storage memory that can be electrically erased and rewritten, is cheaper, smaller and more efficient than previous forms of data storage. Not only is flash memory used in many technology applications such as digital cameras, mobile phones and medical electronics, it is also used by individuals to store computer data. A USB memory device is a data storage device that has an integrated USB interface such that the device can be connected to a USB port on a computer or similar digital device. A USB memory device is typically pocket-sized and often holds upwards of several gigabytes (GB) of data storage space. USB flash memory devices are known by many names, including jump drives, memory sticks, flash drives and USB jump drives.
The only problem associated with USB storage devices is how easily identifiable they are. USB memory devices typically look the same and are easily recognizable as USB memory devices. Unfortunately, because they are easily identifiable, small and portable, USB memory devices can easily be stolen. Sometimes individuals prefer storing sensitive information on USB memory devices because information can be transferred from one computer to another without having to access the internet, which avoids the risk of the information being intercepted by hackers who are attempting to steal the information during its transmission through cyberspace. When information is stored on a USB memory device, the information can be physically handed from one individual to another, without the risk of someone else intercepting the information stored on the device. Yet, theft of such a small device is easy, and of particular concern with regards to the volume of information modern USB storage devices can retain.
Several patent applications have published regarding devices that attempt to describe portable USB covers, yet they do not describe a USB memory device that is completely disguisable as a toy car. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0190298 to Panas describes a decorative ornamental cover, designed to resemble a novelty item, for a USB memory device. One of the embodiments of the Panas device is a decorative toy automobile cover for a USB memory device. The device looks like a small car with a USB connector located at the rear of the toy car. It is apparent from the protruding USB connector that the device is a USB memory device, enabling an individual to easily recognize the device as such. Knowing that the device is a USB memory device with a toy car cover, a thief with the motivation and desire could easily identify the device and steal it, along with the sensitive information contained therewith.
The present invention is designed to be completely unrecognizable as a USB memory device when not plugged into a computer. The USB connector on the present invention is retractable. When the device is not in use in a computer, a user may retract the USB connector into the body of the device, making the device indistinguishable from an ordinary toy car. Without prior knowledge that the USB flash memory device is concealed within the body of the toy car, a thief would not be able to identify the USB memory device as a USB memory device and, therefore, would fail at stealing the device and any sensitive information contained within the device. The device further provides feedback to the user when engaged with a USB port, wherein the device's lights flash, and alternatively the wheels may spin and a revving sound may be provided.
A second patent application for USB covers exists as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0218119 to Pomerantz. The Pomerantz patent application describes a cover for electronic devices that is designed to assist users in remembering his or her electronic device after use. One embodiment of the device is a USB memory device cover to aid a user in remembering to collect his or her USB device after using it in a computer that is not his or her own. The patent application gives the example of a common occurrence where a speaker, or lecturer, fails to remove his USB drive from the podium computer after he or she is finished giving a presentation. When the device is detached from the device cover, the cover expands in at least one dimension, and exists in an inconvenient form that is not easily overlooked by the user, thus serving as a reminder that the user must collect his or her device. However, when the device and the device cover are joined, the cover collapses making the device compact enough to easily fit in a user's pocket.
The Pomerantz device is not designed to conceal the electronic device or USB memory device, but rather is designed to be a reminder to the user not to forget, or leave behind, his or her electronic device. In the case of the electronic device being a USB memory device, the USB device is still easily identifiable as a USB memory device, because the USB connector is visible, and the device covering is not designed to disguise the device. If a thief were so inclined, he or she could easily identify the Pomerantz device as a USB memory device and could steal it. The present invention aims at completely disguising a USB memory device so that it cannot be recognized as such. By encasing the USB memory device inside of a toy car exterior housing, and providing a means by which the USB connector on the device can be retracted into the body of the toy car, a user could fully conceal the USB memory device, leaving the device as only recognizable as a toy car. A thief would have to know that he or she is explicitly searching for a toy car USB device in order to succeed in stealing the device.
The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing USB memory device concealing devices and means. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.